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During the late 1980s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to Europe with a friend. Because my travel mate was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had booked a 14-day stopover there en route to London.

We got to the postgrad residence, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the canteen, where we got some food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with other diners.

Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He inquired what I my profession was, and I told him that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.

He mentioned that there was an research lab at the institution – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I ought to seek a position with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.

A day later I toured the city, returning to the canteen that evening. The man from Iraq walked over to me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but straight off informed my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.

In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she said: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.

I worked there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a graduate degree in global studies.

I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his identity, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in multiple respects. I didn't possess the confidence or self-belief to contact anyone at an elite institution and request employment. And, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.

Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia led me to a role in Europe where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.

What is the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?

Whether it's cheering you up to altering your path, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have remained in your memory.

Feel free to recount your experience if you are of legal age, without revealing your identity if you prefer. The stories you tell are confidential, and will only be used the aim of this article.